Page 55 of Their Stormy Reunion

Unending bliss poured through my body, beginning the hard work of knitting my soul back together.

Chapter Sixteen

Michael was in my parents’ bedroom getting Dad sorted after coming back from the hospital, and I was doing my damndest trying to take my mom’s mind off things.

“You really don’t have to make anything for me, Mom. Michael said his mom is bringing over dinner tonight, and I’m not hungry right now.”

She continued to take out cans from the pantry and put them on the counter. From my vantage point at the kitchen table, I counted over fifteen different cans of soup, vegetables, and fruit spread out on the countertop. I figured an intervention was required.

“What’s the latest gossip at church?” I asked. Used to be this was worth a couple of hours’ worth of conversation.

“Fallon Jane, you should be ashamed of yourself, church is a place of worship not a place to spread rumors.”

“Mom, I wasn’t asking you to spread rumors. I was just asking you what was going on with the different parishioners. We haven’t really talked about the folks here in Jasper Creek much since I got here.”

She pinned me with an assessing look. “This past Sunday, people were asking why Michael Rankin was staying here at the house. That was the main topic of conversation. I told them that he was just being neighborly after he had saved your life, and all.”

I could feel myself blushing. “I’m sure that stopped them from talking.”

“It did. Of course, if they had asked me today after what I heard last night, I would have had to ignore all of their questions or risk being struck down by the Lord for lying.”

Aw, shit!

I waited for Mom’s lecture. Instead, a small grin spread across her face. “You sure make a lot of noise, Fallon.”

“Mom!” I squeaked out my protest.

“Well, you do.”

Now would have been a great time to retreat to my bedroom, except for the fact that Michael had helped me out to the table and my crutches were in my bedroom. So here I was stuck at the table with my feet up on a pillow in another chair, held captive by my mom. And I was pretty sure she was teasing me.

“It’s not what you think,” I said weakly.

“So, I’m wrong? You and Michael weren’t making love?”

Well shit, how was I supposed to answer that question?

“Did Dad hear?”

“No, his pain medication was really working last night. He was out for the count. Not me though. So, it seems like you and Michael are getting along better, am I right in thinking that?”

I nodded. What else could I do?

“That’s good.”

“I wonder what Michael’s mom will be bringing for dinner,” I said, hoping to deflect the conversation. But as soon as the words were out of my mouth, I cringed. The idea of seeing Michael’s mother when she probably hated my guts made me ill.

“You always raved about her chicken and dumplings; she’ll probably make those for you.”

I couldn’t even look at Mom. I couldn’t look anywhere besides at my feet. The ill feeling that had been with me the first few days after I left the hospital was back with a vengeance.

“Fallon, are you okay?” my mom asked.

“Is something wrong?” I heard Michael ask as he came into the kitchen.

“We were just talking about your mother, and Fallon started looking peaked again. Honey, do you need a pain pill?”

I shook my head. “I think I just need to go lie down,” I said.